You may think the food god has already blessed Bangkokians with endless choices of mobile eateries but this year we’ve seen a rising number of food trucks popping uPrice: in different corners of Bangkok .
This week we decided to serve (and fatten) you with our round-uPrice: of tasty food trucks and sprinkle it with insight from some of the proprietors themselves in case you’re thinking of running your own food truck.
Shortcuts to food trucks
Get your meals on wheels with these 12 food trucks. They are listed in no particular order.
1. Founded by three Thai designers — V, Oil and Kaab — SummerStreet offers a grill-it-yourself seafood experience. Their fresh offerings include freshwater prawns, oysters, squid, tiger prawns and blue crab. Order them as a set (B399 for small, B599 for medium and B999 for large) or a la carte. Listen to the sizzling sounds as the fruits from the sea are grilled over a small charcoal stove. DiPrice: them into Thai-style spicy sauce. Beers and ciders are also available. They operate on a first-come, first-served policy.
Venue: Mon-Sat 4-10pm (alcohol 5-11pm), Ari Soi 2.
Contact: http://goo.gl/25T8Mg.
2. Mother Trucker was founded by three Thai dudes – Army, Bush and Mong. Their burgers are so big you may swear out of sheer surprise. Imagine a 150g patty, onion ring, melted cheese and bacon between buns. They have two choices for patty — beef (B120) or pork (B90). Add extra cheese or bacon for B20 each or B30 for both. To enjoy their birthday promo, show your ID card and get a free burger on your date of birth or one day before or after it.
Venue: Tue-Sun 7-11:30pm, in front of the now-defunct New World Mall, Banglampoo.
Contact: 085-121-3767, http://fb.com/MotherTruckerBKK.
3. Have your Mexican food truck experience minus the sweat at La Monita Food Truck. They just celebrated their fifth year in business and currently operate two outlets and one food truck. At their truck, they try to recreate the experience of famous taco trucks on the streets of San Francisco. Their Mexican munchies include tacos, burritos and quesadillas while gorditas — flatbread stuffed with cheese, meat, salsa and baja sauce — are on offer exclusively at the food truck. Their new restaurant will open in Emquartier soon.
Venue: 10am-10pm, G/F, Siam Paragon, 991 Rama I Road.
Contact: 02-650-9581.
4. Daniel Thaiger has become a burger beacon in little more than one year, trailblazing the path for burger trucks in Bangkok. They offer two choices of beef burgers (from B139), two choices of pork burgers (B129), two sandwiches and extras (jalapeno, cheese and bacon for B15 each). You can tell them how you like your patty cooked. The “on fire” option (B20 extra) means extra Mexican sauce. Besides their usual spots, Daniel Thaiger also sets uPrice: shoPrice: at different events. Follow where they will be on their Facebook page. Mark and Honey run the tasty truck that is named after their son.
Venue: Sukhumvit Soi 38: Tue-Sat from 5:30pm.
Whisgars: Sun from 2:30-9pm, Sukhumvit Soi 23.
Contact: 084-549-0995, http://fb.com/DanielThaiger.
5. Kofuku dishes out affordable Japanese food from their compact kitchens at four locations. At this food truck franchise, you can find rice with different choices of deep-fried delights, sandwiches, curry with rice, rice bowls and more. Their three top-selling items are Tonkatsu curry rice (B75), Katsudon (B70) and Buta terikyaki-cheese curry set (B125).
Venue: 6pm-midnight. The Scene: Town in Town, Sri Wara Road. Opposite Lumpini Ville Thailand Cultural Center: Pracha Uthit Road. Chan Hun Bumphen School: Soi Pracharat Bumphen, Ratchadaphisek Road. Levo Condo, Lat Phrao Soi 18
Contact: 089-766-7758, http://fb.com/kofuku.japanese.sandwich.
6. Annette I Tim Tuk Tuk carries low-fat gelato on the back of their modified vehicles at four locations in Bangkok and two more in Pattaya. Their aww-dorable ice creams are worth getting brain freeze for (and also sharing via your Instagram). There are 11 sweet flavours on offer such as heart-shaped Bubble gum, paw-shaped Chocolate & banana and Mango & passion fruit with a butterfly on it.
Venue: Siam Center: 10am-9pm, Food Republic, 4/F, Rama I Road. Baiyoke Tower Night Market: 4pm-midnight, near Baiyoke I Tower and Indra Hotel, Pratunam. Khao San Road: 1pm-2am, in front of Krung Thai Bank. CentralFestival Pattaya Beach: 11am-10pm, 333/99 Moo 9, Banglamung, Pattaya. Talad Nam Si Pak (Pattaya Floating Market): 11am-8pm, 451/304, Moo 12, Nong Prue, Banglamung, Chon Buri.
Contact: 090-402-9349, http://fb.com/annetteitimtuktuk,
IG: @annetteitimtuktuk.
Price: B80 each.
7. Angelo and Jeremy from New York are the dynamiContact: duo behind Cheesebreak BKK who bring Philly cheesesteak sandwiches to Bangkok. Their offerings include sandwiches (from B150), cheese fries, maContact: ‘n’ cheese and more. Choose from different ingredients for your sandwich filling and they will cook them in front of you. They also have weekly specials. Find them at their usual spot or follow them on Facebook to try them at the events they attend.
Venue: Fri-Sun 5-11pm, JJ Green, Kamphaeng Phet 3 Road.
Contact: http://fb.com/Cheesebreakbkk.
8. Orn The Road offers eight choices of charbroiled burgers in two sizes – regular for pork or beef (from B120, B30 more for fries) and executive for beef only (from B220, B30 more for fries). The latter choice, of course, comes with a patty of better quality. Prepared with Cajun spices, Black ‘n’ blue burger has grilled onions and blue cheese sauce between the buns. Living uPrice: to its name, Bangkok burger is prepared with Thai herbs and spices. Extra toppings (B10-B25) are bacon, cheddar cheese, grilled onions and jalapenos.
Venue: Tue-Sat 6pm-midnight, between Thong Lor Sois 11 and 13.
Contact: 095-628-0416, http://fb.com/orntheroadbkk.
9. Amity Coffee serves hot, cold and frappe coffees at two locations. Their drinks are very affordable (B30 for hot, B45 for cold and B55 for frappe). Try their Hojicha latte that contains powder made of green tea roasted in a porcelain pot over charcoal for a duet of foamy milk and slight bitterness.
Venue: Pridi Banomyong Soi 40, Mon-Tue & Thu-Fri 8am-3pm. The Pimp, Tue & Thu-Sun 6pm-9pm, Meng Jai Intersection.
Contact: 081-340-1972, http://fb.com/amitycoffeefriendlytaste.
10. HIPrice: Hot Dogs & Burgers is the latest entry into the burger truck scene. StoPrice: by for some freshly made hot dogs (B65) and burgers (from B120 for beef or pork). Those who have a big stomach should try their HIPrice: burger (B190) that features an onion ring and fried egg on toPrice: of one thick patty. They regularly introduce new imported ingredients to keePrice: things fresh.
Venue: The Walk Kaset-Nawamin: Tue-Thu 4pm-11pm, Prasert Manukit Road. Tarad All Muns: Wed, Fri, Sat 4pm-11pm, A-Link Thong Lor Ramkhamhaeng, Ramkhamhaeng Road.
Contact: 090-810-9995, http://goo.gl/1kEm9o.
11. Pizza Aroy is parked on the street but their pizzas are on the savoury level. Find more than 18 toppings, most of which are Italian, such as Pizza salami pepperoni, Pizza Margherita and Pizza parma ham. There are three price points for their eight-slice pizzas (B169, B249, B349). Various extra toppings include 100g of salmon or parma ham (B180), salami (B60), olives (B40) and more. These pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired oven secured on the back of their modified pick-up. Austrian Willy and Thai Yupin are the couple who run the place. Look for their Italian-flag-coloured tent.
Venue: Wed-Sun noon-8pm, Town In Town, Sri Wara Road.
Contact: 081-752-6368, http://fb.com/pizza.aroy.
12. Banh Mi Boy aims to popularise Vietnamese sandwiches with their mobile eatery. The five available fillings are Crispy roast pork, Sardines (ask first), Lemongrass chicken, Vietnamese pork patty and BBQ pork. Their sandwiches are worth getting some baguette crumbs on your shirt for. They use home-made mayo and pate. If you can eat spicy food, ask for some fresh chilli inside your sandwich. Have two fillings for one sandwich without extra cost. Bo and Richie are the owners of this bright green food truck.
Venue: Tue-Fri 11am-3pm, Sukhumvit Soi 47.
Sat-Sun, check their Facebook page.
Contact: 091-859-0926, http://fb.com/banhmiboythailand.
Price: B70.
Points to Ponder
We talk to different proprietors on points to ponder about running a food truck.
1. Do what you’re good at and that can’t be copied easily. Make something different and you’ll get noticed.
2. What makes food t
rucks appealing is the fact that there are very little overheads to pay when compared to opening a proper restaurant. You don’t have to worry if the landlord will renew the lease or not. You don’t have to hire a lot of staff, meaning less headaches.
3. DFSK Thailand creates food trucks to spec for the starting price of B420,000.
4. The cost of kitchen appliances depends on what kind of food you offer. A burger truck owner told us a full-on kitchen and electricity system could cost around B80,000 but he reckons you can do it for less. Hire people who know how to properly install appliances and accessories.
5. Pay rent. However, if you’re lucky enough, the owner of the property may be so kind to let you park for free.
6. You can attend an event for free or for a fee, depending on who’s organising it. It may not turn out to be a big money-making opportunity, however it’s a chance to make a lot of people become aware of you. Customers will no doubt share pictures of your shop online and you get to hand out your business cards.
7. It may be a good idea to consider setting up your shop next to others to have some kind of symbiotic relationship. They can offer something customers don’t get from you and vice versa.
8. Using social media channels to promote your business is crucial. Ask friends to like and share your page. You never know how many people you can reach.
